If I Had to Learn Procreate All Over Again, Here’s What I Would Do

When I first bought my iPad all of these years ago, the first thing I did was download Procreate. I had never had an iPad before, so I had no idea what I was doing with this magical little tablet in my hands or the magical software I had just downloaded.

I confused myself really quickly. 

Over the course of that year, I became an expert in trial and error. Eventually, I got a pretty good grasp on how to use Procreate and fell in love with it. Now, years later, I can’t imagine my life without my iPad and Apple Pencil close by, ready to create some Procreate art. 

I often meet beginning Procreate artists that are going through the same growing pains I did when I first began. These growing pains, while painful at times, are a necessary and wonderful part of the process.

But, it often leaves me thinking. Knowing what I know now, what would I do differently if I had to start over and learn Procreate all over again?

Here’s my advice!

1. Immediately Sign Up for Skillshare

Once I took a Skillshare class, everything about Procreate started to click. It’s honestly what got me to my first finished product in Procreate. Given my perpetual confusion at the time, this felt like a huge win (because it was!). 

I signed up for Procreate pretty quickly after downloading Procreate and realizing how much I had to learn. If I had to do it again though, I would already have my Skillshare subscription set up and ready to go with a few beginning Procreate classes already picked out. 

That way, I’d be able to jump right in. 

If you haven’t checked out Skillshare yet, you can get a free month using this link! 

Skillshare classes are what made the difference in my Procreate journey, so now I turn to Skillshare whenever I want to brush up on a skill, or learn something new. 

It’s honestly been a game changer for my art, both Procreate and otherwise.

2. Find Tutorials that Work for You

I don’t know about you, but I love an excuse for going down a research rabbithole. Whether it be a blogger or YouTuber, try to find a content creator that’s creating Procreate tutorials that jive with you. 

I have a large collection of Procreate tutorials, and if mine jive with your learning style, that’s awesome! If not, keep searching. Once you find that person, go through all of their Procreate tutorials and content. 

The reason I suggest this is because there is a LOT of content out there. This is awesome, but also overwhelming.

When I first started learning Procreate, I spent a lot of time bouncing around between tutorials. Everything looked helpful, so I wanted to explore all of it! While I did end up finding a lot of great resources, I also overwhelmed myself.

There will be time to explore all of the amazing Procreate content that’s out there, but it can wait. In the beginning, I found that it was more helpful to focus on my Skillshare classes and one or two content creators. That way, I could build a strong foundation of Procreate skills without spreading myself too thin.

Now that I’ve been using Procreate for a number of years, I’ve had more than enough time to explore all of the amazing content and tutorials that are out there. I can also appreciate them more now that I have a firm grasp on how to use Procreate.

3. Have a Goal

When I first downloaded Procreate, my goal was to learn Procreate. This was a great goal that accurately described what I wanted to do. 

But, it was a bit broad.

What did I actually want to create in Procreate? Luckily, Skillshare projects helped with that, but it ended up being a valuable lesson overall. 

If I were to relearn Procreate today, I would go in with an idea of the type of art I wanted to create. 

Did I want to create Procreate art so that I could sell it? Did I want to do black and white sketches, or colorful cartoons? Did I want to create lettering? Did I want to create abstract work with a variety of brushes, or choose a style that only required a single basic brush?

Focus. Focus. Focus. As we talked about in the previous section, there is a lot to learn in Procreate, and a lot of people to learn it from. Having a goal can help you sift through all of the options and focus on what you’re aiming to learn.

Once you pick a goal, maybe there’s a specific content creator that specializes in that area that you can follow. 

Maybe there’s a selection of Procreate tools and features you can learn first before diving into the overwhelming sea of Procreate options.

When I first started learning Procreate, I was so focused on learning Procreate that I didn’t think about what I actually wanted to use Procreate for. What did I want to create with Procreate? 

If I had to start again, I would go in with a creation goal to help streamline my learning process. It would also be a great way to build motivation so that I wasn’t floundering from skill to skill without working towards a final project I was passionate about. 

Overall, these tips encompass a single theme: focus. If I had to learn Procreate all over again, I would come up with a focused plan for my learning. 

What do I want to learn? Who do I want to learn it from? What do I want to create? These are great questions to keep in mind to keep that focused vision in check. 

But, at the end of the day, I’m so grateful for my messy and chaotic journey to learning Procreate. All of us take our own, creative paths, which is something that makes art wonderful.

I just hope these tips are helpful if you ever find yourself in those frustrating growing pains of learning Procreate. Simply take a deep breath and remember to focus.

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